


The Best Payment is the One in Kind

by vinegardog



Category: Farscape
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-14
Updated: 2017-06-14
Packaged: 2018-11-14 01:29:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,572
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11197620
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vinegardog/pseuds/vinegardog
Summary: The challenge required the fic to be written as a conversation and for some unknown truths to be revealed by both people taking part.





	The Best Payment is the One in Kind

Written for SC99 – Sharing is Caring hosted by vinegardog

Warning: it was written in a real hurry because I just felt I had to contribute something to my own challenge!

Set during PK Wars

Rating – PG

Word count – circa 1400

Love, love, love these characters still, even after all these years. But they are not mine.

Thanks to A Damned Scientist for the read through and advice!

 

 

**“The Best Payment is the One in Kind”**

“Will you stop squirming like a pinned down drannit, Aeryn? It’s just a flower, not a flesh eating parasite!”

“This is stupid, Chiana! The whole getting married is stupid. The flower is a stupid idea and you’re…”

“Stop whining! Crichton will love it. Don’t you want Crichton to love it?”

“I’m not whining, I’m just…”

“Oh shut up. The fekkik is so besotted with you; the way he looks at you would be - stop wriggling! - would be embarrassing if it wasn’t so stomach-turning sweet.”

“Ouch, Chiana! That hurt! Did you have to pull my hair that hard?”

“If you just stopped twitching for a microt! Your hair is all tangled up. Was Crichton messing with it again?”

“Well…”

“I knew it! Anyway, that goofy smile of his when he looks at you… he is such a cringott. Just wait and see his face when you come out wearing this flower and the white dress I picked for you.”

“White dress? I am NOT wearing a dress, white or otherwise!”

“But you saw the movies when we were on Earth! All brides wear white, flowing dresses and… and veils! Oh we need to get a veil!”

“No! I refuse to wear a dress or a veil, Chiana. I’m not one of those meek, weak excuses for women we saw in those movies. I am… I was a Peacekeeper pilot!”

“ ‘Was’ being the operative word here, Aeryn. You wear a white dress and I bet Crichton will chase you down the aisle and when he catches you I guarantee he is gonna do delicious things to you. He’ll …”

“Chiana!”

“Well, you know I’m right, so why are you so reluctant to make him happy? You’d be wearing the dress for just a couple of arns. Surely you can do that for him.”

“I do want to make him happy. Really, I do. I… I just… never mind.”

“Talk to me. Is this about the other Crichton? About when you were on Talyn? And don’t even try to lie to me, I have seen this strange look in your eyes lots of times before when something reminds you of back then…”

“You are exasperating. But yes… yeah, it is about him.”

“Well, then tell me about it while I finish fixing this slippery sucker in your hair.”

After a brief silence

“We once stopped at a commerce planet.”

“Okay. And?”

“John and I went to get supplies and after we finished our errands, we…we ended up in a refreshment house. He was – we were – happy. In spite of the fact that we were in constant danger from the retrieval squad; in spite of the fact that we didn’t know if Moya and all of you were safe, we were… we were so very happy.”

“Aw. And what happened?”

“Well, we drank - a lot - and… and we laughed like fools at the silliest of things and then, as we were heading back to our shuttle, we passed a dressmaker outlet. John saw this… this… frock he called it. It was on display in the window. He said it would look great on me. Dared me to wear it. So we bought it. I wore it for him later, when we got back on board and…”

“Wait! Slow down. What colour was this ‘frock’ of yours?”

“Does it matter, Chiana? Oh fine, It was purple, made of a soft shimmering material. He said it made his knees weak and made my eyes ‘pop’, whatever that meant.”

“Go on.”

“Well. That night cycle… that night cycle he asked me to wear it and then he took his good time taking it off me. It felt like arns. He almost drove me insane until… until he did make me lose my mind, if you know what I mean.” *soft, rueful smile*

“Uh nice!” *laughter* Do you still have it? The dress?”

“No. After he di… after he was gone I wore it once on that planet, Valldon. It… I was stupid. I think… I think I just wanted to feel again, just one more time, how I’d felt when I wore it for him on Talyn. I was stupid. I got rid of it before I returned to Moya.”

“Yeah, I can see why you would do that. I’m sorry, Aeryn. Well, now, here we go, the flower is in place and you look drad! Look at yourself in the mirror and tell me if you don’t look super drad?!”

“It looks… okay. Oh fine, don’t scowl at me like that, it does look ‘drad’. Thank you, Chi.”

“You know. My mother once told me stories of how Nebari women were famous in their part of the galaxy for their beautiful, bright-coloured attires.”

“What? Nebari women and colourful garments?”

“Yeah. I know, right? Hard to believe. They would wear dresses and headgear of all shapes and all hues of pink, red, purple, turquoise - the most vibrant the colour the better - and proudly parade around in them.”

“Seriously?”

“Yes, there were… there were festivals and competitions were held to choose the prettiest, most extravagant outfits and everybody used to travel long distances to participate or just to watch and vote and then they would party for days with plenty of drink and food going around. She… she once told me the story of how I was conceived during one of these festivals!”

“Well, that explains a lot about you, Chi.” *said with a smile*

“Yeah, I guess it does. My mother told me that that time, she wore a really revealing scarlet gown – she said it was almost disgraceful how skimpy it was, even for her who normally had no shame…"

“Like mother, like daughter, eh?”

“Oh shush!” *laughter* “Anyway, she came second at the most prestigious of the Nebari national contests– although she swore to me that she was cheated out of the first place by a local dignitary’s daughter! – and my sire, well, my sire just had to have her there and then when she came down off the walkway. And I mean right there and then. They didn’t even make it back to their lodgings!”

“I never knew this about the Nebari. How different things were…”

“Well, things changed quickly and drastically when the current regime took power. Written records were purged and people were forbidden to talk about the past. All joy and freedom were suppressed. Those… those competitions were made illegal. Everybody was given modest clothes to wear. Grey became the regime’s colour of choice… and everybody who opposed these changes, like my parents did, well, they were disposed with swiftly and without mercy.”

“I didn’t know that that’s what happened to your parents, I’m sorry, Chiana.”

“Yeah, so am I. And angry. But it’s ok because… because one day, one day when Nerri and the resistance finally win, things are going to change.”

“I belive you and they will.”

“I’ll be able to return to my planet then, and when I do, I will be the first one to bring all of those old traditions back: colourful, outrageous dresses; plenty of raslak-drinking and… and lots and lots of wild recreation! I’m gonna do it: for me, for Nerri and to honour my parents… just watch me!”

“I have no doubt that you will accomplish all of that, one day. You just need to be patient, Chi. And when you do, John and I will be the first ones to come visit and join in in the celebrations. ”

“Yeah… that’d be cool. Well, I guess we have kept the groom waiting long enough. Almost time for you to get out there, Aer. But you’re sure about the white dress? I can show it to you, I bet you’ll change your mind!”

“No, I’m sure. The flower is enough, Chiana. Thank you. Maybe one day I will wear a dress again… but not today. ”

“Okay, then. I’m gonna go out then and wait for you to make an entrance ‘cos I don’t wanna miss Crichton’s face when he sees you! Breathe, Aeryn, breathe!”

“I hate this part. Being the centre of attention. Going through with these silly traditions of his… I feel like a cadet on her first training flight. I hope he knows that he owes me.”

“Oh he does, Aeryn. I’m sure that he knows. Look at it this way: you do this for him now and all you have to do is make sure that he pays his debt to you in kind later.” *lewd wink*

“Knowing him, that sounds like the kind of payment that he would enjoy no end in making. How about I don’t let him repay it in kind fort at least a couple of weakens?”

“Mmm. Have you ever heard the Human saying ‘cutting your nose to spite your face’, Aeryn?”

“No, I haven’t. Is that one of John’s? What does it mean? Chiana! Don’t walk away. Chiana! Stop laughing and come back here! Chiana! What does that saying mean?!”

The end


End file.
